


Strong 'til you break

by citysonfire



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Angst, Coda, Despair, Episode: s15e18 Despair, Gen, M/M, Michael Possessing Adam Milligan, POV Michael (Supernatural), Post-Episode: s15e18 Despair
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-10
Updated: 2020-11-10
Packaged: 2021-03-08 18:47:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,428
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27481453
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/citysonfire/pseuds/citysonfire
Summary: Michael and Adam were in Rome when people started disappearing in a puff of smoke.
Relationships: Michael & Adam Milligan, Michael/Adam Milligan
Comments: 7
Kudos: 98





	Strong 'til you break

**Author's Note:**

> Title is from All Fall Down by OneRepublic. Because I'm terrible at thinking of titles so I rely on songs.

They were in Rome. Adam was still considering college so in the meantime they were seeing the world. Adam had previously never left his hometown, so everywhere was new to him, and Michael had not been to Earth in millennia and hadn’t even really cared about the place much before meeting Adam. 

“I know it’s a crime to say this, in the homeland of pizza, but I still think I prefer America’s version,” Adam said as he tucked into a huge four cheese pizza. “This is incredible though!”

Michael smiled as he sat across from him. It still felt weird being in the land of the living again. Both he and Adam had nightmares about the Cage, and certain sounds or smells put them on edge, but they had each other. They could calm each other down, reassure each other that they were free. They worked well together.

Michael leant forward and picked at some of the pizza crust Adam had left, “I won’t tell anyone kid.”

Adam grinned as he wiped his face with a napkin, “Where to next on this romantic road trip?”

“What?” Michael froze.

“You think I wouldn’t notice? First Paris, then Venice, now Rome. They are all very culturally and historically interesting places I'll admit, but also famously romantic ones.”

Michael’s mind screeched to a halt. Was that what he’d been doing? He cared for Adam, wanted to protect him. They spent thousands of years in Hell together, it’s hard not to bond after that.

Adam continued chomping on a slice of pizza with a smile on his face. 

Michael replayed his and Adam’s interactions, the ones in the Cage and more recent ones on Earth. He was surprised how many of them made something in his chest grow warm, the way Adam laughed, the way Adam looked at him like he was an idiot when he didn’t get something human, the way Adam let him in a take control when he wanted to, the way Adam understood him better than anyone.

Adam’s smile began to falter, “Michael? Are you OK?”

Michael blinked and looked down at Adam’s hand on the table. “Yeah, I am.” He reached out and laid his hand on Adams', “I guess that was what I was doing…” Michael glanced up at Adam, attempting a smile. 

Adam breathed a sigh of relief. “Glad we’re on the same page.” He turned his hand over and laced their fingers together, eyes widening at the feeling, the way his soul and Michael’s grace touched.

“Well I guess we could –“

The sound of smashing plates stopped Michael short. They both turned to look and saw nothing but plates and food on the floor, no waiter in sight. Then the screams started. Around them people were disappearing into smoke. 

Neither of them hesitated. Michael took control and strode out the restaurant. The same thing was happening outside but with the added chaos of cars and bikes crashing into each other. 

_“Michael, what’s happening?”_

“I don’t know.” Michael ran through dozens of scenarios in his head, was it just here in the city? In Italy? In Europe? Or was it the whole world? Everyone they saw vanished in a puff of smoke, old young, male, female. Everyone. Michael could feel Adam’s soul against his grace, trying to sooth him as he tried to decide what to do.

After nearly getting hit by an out of control car, Michael flew them to the rooftop terrace of the nearest hotel. 

They could still hear the last echoes of screams, crashes and explosions but there was also a stillness in the air.

_“Do you think it could be God?”_

Michael shook his head as he paced, Adam still nestled inside, ready and willing to let Michael decide what to do next. 

“But why? I don’t –“ Michael stopped. “Adam?”

No response. Michael clutched at his chest and focussed inwards. Nothing. Where Adam should be, a steady and bright presence in his mind and close to his grace, was nothing. He felt empty and alone and he couldn’t comprehend what was happening. He couldn’t breathe. He was almost hysterical – archangels aren’t supposed to feel hysterical.

“Adam!” Michael screamed his name, looking around as if Adam had suddenly become his own person, and was in a body next to him – even if that was impossible. If anyone was going to leave it would be Michael, though he never would.

The silence echoed around him, from the city and in his own mind. It’s not as if Adam never stopped talking, but his presence was like a background hum that Michael could always hear and feel. He collapsed to the floor, one hand gripping his chest, the other wrapped around his stomach, as if trying to hold something in that was long gone.

~*~~*~~*~

Michael wasn’t sure how long he’d sat on the floor, but it was getting dark and cold when he finally found the strength to move. He flew to London, thinking whatever happened might’ve been just focussed on Rome, or Italy, and if he got far enough away, Adam would come back to him. 

London was silent and empty, and Adam didn’t come back.

Next was Sydney and then Nairobi and Cape Town and Hong Kong and Rio. All the same. And Adam didn’t return. He lost track of the countries, and towns, cities and villages he flew to, barely pausing long enough to see the damage this phenomenon had caused and to realise that Adam wasn’t there.

He flew to America. New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Dallas – no human to be found anywhere on Earth. But nothing was worse than the emptiness he felt. He’d been alive for eons, he’d been without Adam for far longer than he’d been with him, but somehow he wasn’t used to being alone. Adam was a part of him, understood him, and now he was gone and Michael didn’t know how or why. 

As he flew through the midwestern states, Michael thought of the Winchesters. They might not even be alive but if they were, they might be the only ones that could tell him what happened to Adam. Michael finally had a destination in mind.

~*~~*~~*~

Michael landed in the bunker’s war room, startling a young man. He scrambled to his feet, shouting for Sam and Dean. Michael squinted at him, so this was the Nephilim, Jack.

The Winchesters came running, guns and angel blades drawn. Sam pulled Jack to his side. 

“What happened?” Michael snarled.

The Winchesters looked at each other before Sam spoke, “It was Chuck. At first we thought he was just targeting people who weren’t from this Earth, or people who had died and been resurrected but then it seemed like it was everyone.”

“You’re correct. You three are the only humans,” Michael looked at Jack again, “Well, two and a half humans, I’ve found on the whole planet.” He let that sink in for a moment. “What are you going to do?”

Sam looked at him in shock, “What are we going to do?! We’ve just lost everyone we know, we –“

“So now you want to get involved?!” Dean interrupted, stalking forward and getting in Michael’s face. “What’s changed Mike? Because you weren’t interested in stopping daddy dearest before.”

“Adam’s gone!” 

Dean flinched and Sam gasped. Jack looked confused.

Michael shoved at Dean, then crowded into him, voice low and threatening. “Adam’s gone and I want him back and if this is God’s doing, I am going to make him pay.”

“OK, OK,” Sam stepped closer to them both, hands out in what Michael assumed was supposed to be a calming gesture. “I’m sorry Michael, really. We’ve all lost people we care about so why don’t we take a step back, have a breather and then we can figure something out together.”

Michael glared at them both. They couldn’t possibly understand how he feels. Then he noticed the absence of one coat wearing angel, “Where’s Castiel?”

All three of them reacted at once. Jack looked guiltily to the floor, Sam winced and looked at Dean while Dean recoiled and, as Michael watched, his face became blank and emotionless. No one said anything. Interesting. Michael thought that these reactions were exactly the sort of thing that Adam would be able to explain to him. Michael missed him like he used to miss Heaven.

Getting no answer from any of them, Michael sighed. “Fine, I’ll be in the library when you’re ready to talk. Don’t take too long though, I plan to get Adam back with or without your help.”

**Author's Note:**

> And then the four of them come up with a plan, defeat Chuck and bring everyone back. Sam and Eileen are reunited, Dean and Cas are reunited, and Michael and Adam are reunited and there's lots of hugs, tears and kisses for them all. Oh and down the line Michael and Adam bond with their nephew Jack much to everyone's surprise.


End file.
